The present invention relates to a bracket for holding a printed circuit board on a connector for wave solder application.
Connectors, such as type 66 connectors, are insulation displacement connectors used where wire enters buildings as a termination for telephone cables. The connectors designed for use on wave solder machines are normally designed with short pins (approximately 0.125xe2x80x3). Connectors designed for use through an automatic wire wrap machine are normally designed with long pins (approximately 0.375xe2x80x3) for use with a single wire wrap.
However, manufacturing two different types of connectors with different size pins is costly. Not only are costs increased in having to change manufacture procedures for the different size pins but also in the inventory, stock, ordering, etc., for different component parts as well as different finished products.
Additionally, applications for using a printed circuit board in conjunction with wire wrap application are possible but have not been utilized. This is primarily due to difficulty in soldering the printed circuit board to the wire wrap pins of the connector. In this regard, the use of a printed circuit board may be an alternative in applications where two or more wire wraps cannot be used on a pin.
The present invention is directed to a bracket for holding a printed circuit board in relation to a connector for wave solder application comprising a mounting element for attaching the bracket to the connector, a shelf for supporting at least a portion of the printed circuit board at a predetermined height above the connector and a latch for retaining the printed circuit board on the shelf.
The mounting element is preferably a hole through which a screw passes to an existing mounting screwhole on the connector.
The latch is preferably associated with a flexible arm to allow the latch to snap over the printed circuit board when pushed into place without additional mechanical elements or manipulation.
The shelf is provided at a predetermined height from the connector so that a plurality of brackets can be attached to the connector to hold the printed circuit board uniformly above the connector. The uniform retention of the board above the connector provides a basis for a quality wave solder application.
The material of the bracket is preferably a high temperature material to withstand the heat of the wave solder application.
The bracket also preferably includes additional mounting means, such as screwholes and screws, to compensate for the mounting holes used in the attachment of the bracket to the connector.